Ronald Allen Harmelin v. Michigan
501 U.S. 957 · Decided June 27, 1991 · Supreme Court of the United States
Record summary. This page is generated from the Supreme Court Database’s coded data about the case. It describes who decided what, not the Court’s reasoning. Read the opinion itself before relying on it. Not legal advice.
At a glance
Ronald Allen Harmelin v. Michigan was decided on June 27, 1991 by a vote of 5–4. The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. Justice Antonin Scalia wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Cruel and unusual punishment, non-death penalty” in the Criminal Procedure area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 501 U.S. 957 · 111 S. Ct. 2680 · 115 L. Ed. 2d 836 · 1991 U.S. LEXIS 3816
- Docket number
- 89-7272
- Decided
- June 27, 1991
- Argued
- November 5, 1990
- Court era
- Rehnquist Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Affirmed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 5–4
- Majority opinion
- Antonin Scalia
- Opinion assigned by
- William H. Rehnquist
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Cruel and unusual punishment, non-death penalty
- Issue area
- Criminal Procedure
- Legal provision
- Eighth Amendment (cruel and unusual punishment)
- Type of law
- Constitutional amendment
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice Byron R. White | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Dissent | |
| Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Special concurrence | |
| Justice Antonin Scalia | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Anthony M. Kennedy | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice David H. Souter | Special concurrence |
Full case caption
Ronald Allen Harmelin v. Michigan
SCDB identifiers: case 1990-128, docket 1990-128-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Cruel and unusual punishment, non-death penalty”
- Pearly L. Wilson v. Richard Seiter
- Keith J. Hudson v. Jack McMillian
- Donald L. Helling v. William McKinney
- Richard Lyle Austin v. United States
- Dee Farmer v. Edward Brennan
- Whitley v. Albers
Cases on the same legal provision: Eighth Amendment (cruel and unusual punishment)
- Pervis Tyrone Payne v. TennesseeAltered precedent
- Robert Lacy Parker v. Richard L. Dugger
- Robert Lee Shell v. Mississippi
- Dennis Sochor v. Florida
- Lewis v. Jeffers
- Henry Jose Espinosa v. Florida
Same Term, same area (Criminal Procedure)
- Robert Lee Shell v. Mississippi
- Tommy Cage v. Louisiana
- R. Dobie Langenkamp v. C. A. Culp
- Raymond J. Moskal, Sr. v. United States
- Robert S. Minnick v. Mississippi
- Richard Demarest v. James
Source: Supreme Court Database, 2026 Release 01 (data file dated September 8, 2026). Imported into CaseTrail November 5, 2026. Coverage: decisions from the 1946 through 2025 Terms. Methodology · Report an error